28/09/2018
Sports Spotlight: Rachel Yankey
28/09/2018 share 
Claudia Okyere-Fosu
Call Me Ray
Her determination was evident in her youth. The story goes aged 8 she shaved off all her hair, said her name was ‘Ray’ an acronym of her names and pretended to be a boy so that she could play in the boys team at school. Apparently she got away with it for two years!
Millennial Queen
In 2000 aged 16 while playing for Fulham she registered as the first professional female footballer in England. That pioneering step set a standard she has stayed focussed and loyal to. It’s probably the reason why she continues to campaign for women’s football till this day.
International Player
In addition to her longstanding career with Arsenal she has played for Birmingham City, New Jersey Wildcats and Laval Dynamites a Canadian team. Rachel made her senior debut in 1997 playing for England and arguably became the most famous football player in England. Despite a busy schedule she lent her skills to the BBC’s Sport Academy Masterclasses mini-series teaching young footballers basic soccer skills.
Rachel has the strength and fortitude to keep going forward despite the odds and improving her game. Countless times she is called upon to strike that winning goal, smashing Peter Shilton’s all-time national record of 125 caps is no mean feat.
In 2012 Rachel was named in Great Britain’s squad for the London 2012 Olympics. She was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2006 New Year Honours and Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2014 New Year Honours, both for services to football. Further cementing her status as a remarkable football player.
So what’s next for Rachel?
I believe Rachel will continue to serve her community, coaching and teaching the next generation of players. Who knows she might even open a football academy in Ghana.
Is there a sports personality of Ghanaian descent that you would like to see featured in next month’s spotlight?
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